Nedumbassery: Even as the civil aviation industry is experiencing a downturn globally, Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has registered a steep increase in the movement of passengers, thanks to a surge in the number of domestic tourists visiting the State.

The statistics available with CIAL suggests that though the total number of passengers using the airport grew only by 9 per cent during the first seven months of the current fiscal, it has jumped to over 13 per cent in the three months starting October 2009. CIAL had projected a growth rate of 10 per cent in its annual passenger movement at the start of the financial year.

According to CIAL Managing Director C.G. Krishnadas Nair, the number of domestic travellers moving through the airport had moved up from 4,000-5,000 persons per day to 6,000-7,000 persons with the onset of the tourism season in the State.

Given this sudden surge in the number of domestic passengers visiting the State and a steady growth in international sector, the company has now upgraded the expected number of passengers through here as 40 lakh a year.

During the last financial year, the international segment posted a growth of 13.52 per cent but the domestic sector faced a negative trend as both the aircraft and the passenger movement registered a marginal decline.

Mr. Nair said that CIAL plans to tap the large inflow of tourists to the State by promoting Kochi as the gateway to the ‘God’s Own Country’ by starting an exclusive tour division to coordinate between the tourists and the tour operators. This would enable the company to charge a commission apart from ensuring business for the tour agents without spending much on advertisement and other related expenses, he said.

Mr. Nair said CIAL would start a medium size trade fair and exhibition centre apart from opening more retail shops at the airport to tap the expected growth in traffic to Kochi. He said the airport company would conduct a seminar on the development of marine products exports in March as part of its efforts to develop Kochi as a hub of perishable cargo export in South India. At present, Saudi Airlines and Deccan 360 were carrying out freight services from here. The airport company was in consultation with the Emirates Airlines to launch its cargo carrier to Kochi.

KOCHI: After years of slumber, the Goshree Islands Development Authority (GIDA) has switched over to active mode by completing the first phase of master plan preparation. In the second phase, KITCO will prepare a master plan for the integrated development of the islands to be implemented in the next 20 years.

As part of the first phase the local bodies coming under GIDA will get up to Rs 50 lakh each to implement various projects designed by them.

“The first phase of the project will be submitted before the next general council of GIDA to be held soon. After getting the approval, funds will be disbursed to the local bodies to go ahead with the project which includes road work as well,’’ said District Collector M Beena who is also the secretary of GIDA.

“KITCO will submit the master plan in April, 2010. Once implemented it will be a guideline for the comprehensive development of the islands,’’ Beena said.

The master plan will focus on the requirements of the areas under GIDA for the next 20 years. It will cover 18 important areas of development including infrastructure, resources, transportation, housing and shelter, special problem areas, special attention areas, development and management and integration of various agencies.

The master plan will consist of the present status, future requirement in each area and the projects to be implemented. A land use policy will be formulated as part of the master plan.

The land use plan, which is a part of the land use policy, will lay down clear directions for using land under GIDA. Zonal restrictions will be implemented as part of the plan. Industrial, housing and infrastructure projects will be approved based on zonal restrictions. Once the master plan is implemented suggestions will be invited from the public. After considering the suggestions and objections the master plan will be submitted for state government’s approval.

The project is envisaged to cover all the developmental needs of the areas under GIDA.

KOCHI: After exhausting all its efforts to tame stray dogs, the Kochi Corporation is going to take up a project which will help in finding a solution to the menace in West Kochi. This will give a big respite to the residents of West Kochi who have been facing problems for a long time now with the local body struggling to find a way to deal with issue.

As per the plan, the Kochi Corporation will develop a centre where the stray dogs will be taken and subject to key hole sterilisation surgery, Health Standing Committee Chairman K J Sohan said. A meeting was held here the other day to discuss the matter. Another meeting will be held soon to do more planning on the project, sources said. The local body will spend about `5 lakh to convert an existing building at Chullickal into a centre where the dogs will be sterilised.

The dogs will be kept at the centre where they will be given post operative care. The residents in the area with pet dogs can also take their dogs to the centre for sterilization. They will be kept in the centre for about ten days before dropping them from the location from where they were picked. However, the main concern of the corporation is to complete the modification of the building utilising `5 lakh by the end of March failing which the grant will get cancelled.

The project, which had been cleared by the district planning board and the state planning board had been gathering dust for sometime now. The local body is planning to appoint two veterinary doctors on a contract basis to carry out the operation. The contract period will be for a period of six months, he said. The corporation will have to tie up with an NGO for implementing the project. This will be done by inviting expression of interest, Sohan said. The corporation had been mulling over finding a solution to deal with the increase in the number of stray dogs in the area.

The situation has turned bad as its earlier attempt to take up a similar project failed to bear fruits a couple of years back. Then the dogs were taken to the government veterinary hospital at Mattancherry where doctors were required to carry out the sterilisation surgery. There are cases of domesticated dogs being discarded by the residents once they become old, a resident said.

The coming up of many buildings has made traffic in city go high,which in turn create many issues.The corporation must severely look up to it.Many flats for sale in Thrissur has made its location at proper place,so that traffic can be reduced.

When new Apartments in Thrissur , villas or homes are coming up in every nook and corner of your city, it isn’t easy to ignore another side of this story. These construction sites harbor large amounts of solid waste and approximately 91% of all C&D waste comes from renovation and demolition. When construction sites are meant to go hand in hand with development, these sites found in the most prime locations generate enormous amount of waste.
With our rapidly growing real estate sector, there is a huge increase in the number of people buying new 2 BHK/ 3 BHK apartments in the city and this has significantly triggered the growth of the construction sector. Safe disposal of the waste generated out becomes a huge issue for the builders, and owners.
There is also a shortage of natural resources for the construction of buildings which is due to the poor management of C&D waste that’s gets accumulated over a period of time. There is a rising concern among residents of the apartment or villa and even in the neighborhood of the site.
What does C&D waste consist of?
The C&D waste that is accumulated as a result of the construction of new apartments, can be put to a list of various uses. It will help reduce the cost of production of new materials along with the excessive consumption of natural resources. Some of the commonly found C&D waste is as follows:
C&D Management
BRICKS
Bricks are used in construction sites as a source of crushed material to create fill or base of high quality. Brick masonry contains up to 20% of mortar by volume. Crushed brick and roofing tiles were earlier dumped in the landfills, but now it is mostly recycled into mortar plaster and building rocks.
WOOD/TIMBER
Another most commonly found building material that comes under C&D waste is wood or timber. Natural wood debris can be ground up and put to horticultural use. They are used as an efficient source of industrial fuel, landfill cover and for many building operations.
CARDBOARD
The most common building packaging material is the corrugated cardboard; which makes it a key component of the C&D waste stream due to the fact that many building materials are shipped to the site in a pre-fabricated, finished state. As long as it is dry, it is one of the most readily recyclable materials. The cardboard recycling market is well developed and it is usually processed and recycled into new cardboard containers.
CONCRETE
The commonly found concrete is one of the most recycled materials in the world. The primary market for recycled concrete is as a base product for buildings and roads. Crushed concrete and brick can be used as the primary surface material on rural roads and driveways and in drainage applications. It is used as borrow pit fill and also in residential constructions.
SANITARY WARE
These include tiles which can be reused as such if not damaged. If it is chipped or cracked; it is crushed further to make it into construction in-fill and also as filler in concrete. Pozzolanic value of such powdered sanitary ware is a desirable property in concrete mixes.
GLASS
Glass that’s found in most construction sites can be recycled to help decreasthe amount of non- biodegradable glass out of landfills. It is also a good substitute for Quartz and Feldspar in the manufacturing of high strength porcelain sanitary ware.
METAL/STEEL
Metal is present in small amounts in residential C&D projects. It comes in the form of wiring, siding, fasteners, and roof flashing. When low value metal is present in sufficient amounts, it is recycled in the scrap metal market. Steel is the most commonly used metal in the world. The world produces over 783 million tons of raw steel. It currently recycles over 320 million tons of iron and steel every year. Scrap metal can yield up to 76% of energy savings.
PLASTIC
It is a well-known fact that plastic is in over-abundance due to its nature, making it most difficult to dispose. It can be shredded and used as fillers in other materials and in construction of roads. Household plastics can be recycled to obtain light weight aggregates for mortar. It helps in the possibility of cracking.
Challenges faced in most construction sites
Construction sites which are congested with heavily built-up areas lack a proper storage system or an alternative space for storing the materials used for construction.
Another major challenge is the absence of ownership of the waste, due to the presence of multiple contractors in most of the construction sites.
Lack of awareness among the workforce about the various methods of storing the C&D waste and measures to recycle or reuse them is another major challenge face in construction sites.
Two pillars of waste management
REUSING OF C&D WASTE:
Reusing is something that does not require much processing to transform the waste into useful products. Further screening is not done to process these items which can be reused and they are directly taken from the debris.
RECYCLING OF C&D WASTE
All the waste materials generated from there can be then further segregated. Reusable items can be taken out and the leftover material can be further processed to convert them into useful products.
Advantages of proper waste management
Earlier demolished concrete were shipped to landfills for disposal, but due to greater environmental awareness, now it is being recycled for reuse in concrete works. There are various benefits in recycling C&D waste instead of dumping it in a landfill. Some of the benefits are:
Local product local sources
Reduces truck traffic
Alternative to a non-renewable resource
Saves overall cost
No disposal fees
Reduced costs of transportation

The management of C&D waste is on its road to improvement in India, with the government taking measures like ‘The Clean India campaign’ to get rid of illegal dumping of C&D waste that blocks large stretches of natural resources. Now huge amount of waste from demolished buildings and constructions are being reused for new constructions and renovation projects, especially by low-income communities in developing countries.
While you decide to buy a 2 BHK or 3 BHK apartment to fulfill your goal of a dream home, ensure that you associate with a builder that utilizes all resources optimally to give you the best construction quality. At Kalyan Developers we ensure the complete satisfaction of all our customers while they buy ourluxurious apartment or 2BHK 3 BHK homes, and even after they move in. We look into the minutest of detail to ensure excellent management of our C&D waste management that ensures satisfaction of all our residents as well as our neighbors. Come join hands with Kalyan Developers – the most trusted builder of Kerala.